Fast food in the post COVID world: Taco Bell Go Mobile stores
It is often said that the pandemic has accelerated changes that were in the wings. Such is the case for Taco Bell, whose new Go Mobile store format focuses on drive through customers, minimizing dine-in space. The Go Mobile format will feature dual drive through lanes, with one optimized for customers and food delivery drivers who order using the Taco Bell app and inform the store, through the app and GPS how close they are to the store. CNET
dis-rup-shun: The rate of technology innovation will never be slower than today, and the rate of structural changes to our culture brought about by COVID-19, especially real estate, remain astounding. New homes are being built with not one, but two home offices, and commercial real estate developers are scrambling to determine the future of office life. Space planners, who just finished lowering cubicle walls, are busy raising them. While Taco Bell is modeling the new look of app-powered fast food, the days of the salad bar and self-serve restaurant formats are, for now, done.
Coronavirus exposes the broadband gap
18 million Americans do not have broadband access. In a time when working, learning and staying connected require the internet, the problem is more than an inconvenience. CNET‘s six part podcast explores the problem, how it occurred, the state of National Broadband Plan, the promise of 5G, and thoughts on how we resolve this problem.
dis-rup-shun: Elon Musk can fix it. SpaceX’s Starlink chain of low orbit satellites are supposed to bring broadband to all hard-to-reach parts of the planet, and with the fixed cost of deploying the satellites not dependent on the signal recipients’ locations, the economic problems of serving remote customers is not an issue. That leaves only the issue of economic disparity, which can be addressed by government subsidies.
The first of many rulings on Epic v. Apple
U.S. District Judge Rogers rules that Apple cannot revoke Epic’s developer licenses, though it can continue to block Epic’s Fortnite apps from the Apple App Store. Rogers notes that the “current predicament appears to be of its own making,” regarding Fortnite being banned from the app store. The legal sparring over this incidence is expected to continue for months to years, as this is a precedent setting argument. CNBC
dis-rup-shun: This is a very important battle to watch. Epic broke the rules of the app stores, and Apple and Google responded in a predictable way. Epic is making the case that the app stores limit competition and are monopolistic, which, by the way, is the same point that the U.S. Department of Justice has been making for months. Epic seems willing to be that catalyst that enables change. And the winds of change are blowing, if you haven’t noticed.
Level Touch is the future of smart locks
Hard to get excited about smart locks? According to our research at Interpret, 15% of homeowners say they intend to invest in a smart lock in the next 90 days, and 10% report owning one now. The point is, smart locks will soon be to homes what power locks were to cars in the last century — standard on all but the oldest, or most budget models. Two barriers to adoption in already constructed homes have been aesthetics and battery life. Level Home has released the Level Touch, a smart lock whose battery will last for one year, and whose hardware looks no different from a standard (not smart) lock. Using NFC, a smartphone app or the simple touch of the finger will open or lock your door. TechCrunch
dis-rup-shun: This company is made up of some former Apple designers, and their experience shows. If homes automatically lock (that’s the default) except when authorized people (smartphones) are nearby, then the entire game of home security changes. Locks, not entry sensors, report to a central controller and app who is in or out, cameras verify when questions arise, and the police are called only in rare circumstances where data and images confirm a real problem. A home will essentially know, at any time, who is in or out, and the homeowner will enjoy that peace of mind.